Behind the Tricks and Lies: Chapter 2
by Natsuki Fukushima
Summary: After rescuing Loki from the beach, Catherine brings him to her apartment to recover, but now that he's there, she has no idea what to do.


Behind the Tricks and Lies: Chapter 1

The sun was beginning to set quicker now. Light pinks and oranges painted the ever darkening skies. The heavy clouds began to swarm the skies, rushing the twilight. The sun slowly sank behind the black outline of pines and birch. She looked out over the obsidian ocean watching sea gulls dive mockingly towards the water and then fly away. A small smile crept to her rosy lips as she watched them play. A sharp cruel wind rushed passed her, making her shiver and wrap her coat around her body closer. Her dark brown wavy locks followed the wind, covering her face before she managed to confine them to being under her scarf.

The early November air was becoming unbearable for her to continue her evening walks along the dark sandy beaches of the Maine coast. Soon it will start to snow, but how beautiful it will be once it does! She looked up at the torturous sky, the clouds appeared to be threatening snow already, or some sort of foul weather. She turned around and began to retrace her foot prints back to where she had parked her truck. She had barely taken five steps to where she had parked, when the harsh wind began to pick up more rapidly and the sky became grotesque. She let out a yelp of pain as something plopped onto her head and landed into the dark mineral sand. Little balls of ice, no bigger than a pea, began to descend from the heavens. AT first they weren't so bad, but as they continued to fall, the size of the hail became progressively larger. A few of them were rivaling the size of golf balls. She knew if she didn't take shelter soon, she could be seriously injured.

She covered her head with her arms and scanned the shore for any form of shelter. It would take her too long to reach her truck. A few yards away she spied some rocks jetting out of the ground. This would at least provide shelter from the hail that was now starting to reach the size of small oranges. Although she was now safe from the hail, the cold and wind were a different story. Within the past ten minutes of this sudden storm, the temperature had dropped about fifteen degrees, although, it felt more like twenty, or even more. The wind was becoming extremely temperamental, even the waves were increasing in size, almost reaching the rocks that were protecting her head from being savagely beaten. She leaned against the cold rocks, it felt like ice to the touch. Her dark brown eyes darted outward to sea as lightning flashed followed by a roar of thunder. She shivered violently. She tried to wrap her coat closer to her body but the wind was too sharp and pierced through it anyway.

_When would it end? How long will I have to wait out here in this freezing nightmare?_ She thought. True, it had only been about fifteen minutes, but it felt like an hour or more while standing against something so cold. Not only was there hail, but now it began to rain in icy sheets. The wind blew so violently that the rain aimed right in her direction, the rock that once protected her now barely provided any relief at all.

More thunder rolled over the ocean. Lightning began to flash more frequently, and suddenly a large funnel formed in the clouds. It spat out blue bursts of light and more ice followed. She became terrified. The twister was barely twenty yards away. What kind of weather was this? Who ever heard of a tornado in Maine? Especially this time of year!

The funnel grew larger and larger, extending from the inky sky to touching the dark beach. The black swirl of wind, ice, and light lasted for only a few moments. It kicked up so much sand and water it created a thick cloud of mud for a few moments. Eventually, after what seemed like hours, the funnel began to subside and reabsorb into the sky. She looked on from the rocks that sheltered her. The wind began to die as the menacing clouds receded. She hugged herself tightly while looking at the wild scene. It had become calmer now, as it was before all the chaos began. Cautiously, she stepped out from under her shelter, she needed to get to her truck and go home and rest after what she had witnessed. Before she turned in the direction of her vehicle, she noticed something out of the corner of her eye. There was something lying in the middle of the large circle the tornado had created. Her eyes grew wide as she realized it was a human body.

She quickly shuffled through the sand over towards where the body lied. _He must have been walking on beach also when the storm hit!_ She though. _He must have been caught up in the wind… _She approached the body with caution as she stepped closer. The body was very still, smoke emitted from his clothes and hair. The closer she stepped towards the body she realized it was a man, and he was lying face down in the sand. Cautiously, she reached out her hand to tap his shoulder, "Hey, are you ok?" she said but the man did not respond. "Pease don't be dead!" she said biting her lip. She managed to roll him over onto his back, he was breathing, thank God. Her eyes grew wider as he began to move his mouth trying to speak. "How dare…" he tried to say.

"Are you ok sir?" she said leaning in closer to try to hear him. His arms moved and he gripped at the sand around him as his eyes opened slightly, he looked at her. "Mortal…" was all he said.

"I'm sorry I can't really hear you," she said leaning in closer, "What's your name, I can get help for you."

His eyes opened slightly once more, she leaned in even closer to hear him whisper "Loki." Then he became very still and his chest barely moved for his breathing.

It was practically dark now. A few of the street lights were on closer to the board walks. Somehow she had to get him off of this beach. It was getting extremely cold now. Probably below 40 degrees already. She tried to wake him once more, shoving his arm and slapping his face lightly. He did wake slightly, long enough for her to tell him that she was going to try to help him up and encouraged him to attempt to walk towards her truck. She managed to put his right arm around her shoulders and hobble towards where she had parked her truck. By the time she had reached her vehicle the skies were pitch back. Not even the stars shown tonight. Carefully she managed to get the man identified as "Loki" into the passenger side of her small truck. It was a rather small green Neson, 1992 model. She started the truck and began to back out of the parking lot. She couldn't help but breath heavily after tonight's events. A crazy freak storm and some random stranger she just helped into her truck? And where was she even going? The hospital? No. She hated hospitals. Besides, who would believe her about that storm? No, she had to go somewhere else. She decided instead to take him back to her own apartment and call somebody she knew could help. She reached for her cell phone in her back right pocket and dialed the one person that could possibly help her.

"Hey, Chii?" she said when the other person picked up, "I need your help…"

"Yeah, what's going on?" Chii answered, concern in her voice.

"Meet me at my apartment in fifteen minutes I'll explain then, just please be there."

"Of course I will," Chii agreed, "Catherine, what's going on?"


End file.
